A MARLBOROUGH PROJECT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 300, 13 September 1920, Page 6

A MARLBOROUGH PROJECT

WAIRAU-WEST COAST RAILWAY

ON LINES OF SANSON TRAM

The enterprise which is being shown by public bodies in various uarts.pl i\ew Zealand in building l-'ght railways \b oaiu up back country is extending to Marlborough. Mr. Will Lawson, who is organising the progress movement in that province, returned to Wellington mi biiturday from Sanson, where he inspected the Foxton-Sanson tram, so as to report to a conference of Marlborough public bodies wh.ch is to bo held at Blenheim next Friday. ~.,'. -i "The route of our proposed light railway " said Mr. Lawson in an interview, "is along the Wairau Valley, and eventually we hope to push the line through past Tollhouse and Luke Koi'oiti lo join tile Nclson-Murchison line. There is- no division of opinion in Marlborough as to the need for such a railway, nor of tlio advisability of its being earned out by a railway board with rating powers oyer an area to be decided by the local bodies. But before the scheme can be put mm operation, two important questions havo to be considered, and these are interdependent. They are the r|uestions of gauge and cost. The two-foot gaugesimilar to that used in France during the war—is estimated to cost .£I3OO per mile for the ranking of the track. The 3ft. 6in. gauge will cost .£3OOO per mile, the coumlry being easy throughout. The first length which it ia proposed to build is to the end of tlio present road, at Birch Hill, 40 miles out. For the greater part of the dViiance the Hue would run along the side of the road. From Birch Hill to the Glenhope lino would bo another 40 miles. "Since the proposed line, when completed, would link up at each cud with a Government railway system, there is a s'i-ong feeling in many minds that the 3ft. (Jin. gauge should be laid down. Then, when the Nelson line is pushed on to Reefton or Inangahua it would be possible to carry coal from' tile pit's mouth to Picton in. the same trucks. It is hoped, however, to find supplies of coal and iiimber nearer at hand, beforo reaching Tophouse, in fact; nnd as there is a gently-falling grade—just a. Title more than level—to Blenheim, the cost of haulage would not lie heavy. Right through to the M'lirchison line llliero aro no heavy grades on the proposed route. For this reason, and because it is almost straight, the lino would be a benefit to Wellington when put iirough to the Coast, because -unlimited supplies of conl could bo hauled to Picton just across the Straits.

"My visit iV> the Foxton-Sanson line has confirmed my opinion that a similai line, only much longer, could bo built in the Wai'rau with profit to the district. ■There seems little doubt that the Sanson line has made the district-it traverses, as prosperous as it now ia. Costly road haulage would have crippled the pettier? otherwise, as it is crippling ilhe settlers in the Wairau Valley to-day.

"Every opportunity to see how the 1™ operated was given me by Mr. A. K. Drew, county clerk, and manager of the line. The system of working in cooperation with the Railway Department was'a surprise to me. The only rollingstock owned by the Manawntu council, which also owns the line, consists of two locomotives, two enrrages. six ballast wagons, and a roadside van. The remainder of the- rolling-stock used belongs to the Railway Department, which charges Is. per day for each vehicle and Is. for each tarpaulin while being used by the county. In addition, ihe council has running rights under Railway Department regulations from Himitangi, where the lines join, i!o Foxton. For this privilege tolls of Is. Gd. per ton- on most (foods is paid, ss. per truck for chaif and other bulk goods, and 3d, each way for passengers. Such >an arrangement would solve a good deal of the difficulties encountered in starting a. new line, while the benefit of the Wuirau lino as a feeder to the Piclon line would be considerable. "The Marlborough line would run through country somewhat similar to that between Foxton and Bulls. Another point of resemblance is ihnt both I'nes oventually must become through direct route.; between important points. \\ "When the South Wand Main Trunk lino is completed—Marlborough still hopes that! tins will not be long delayedthe Wairau-Wost Coast lino would bo a factor in making tho ma ; m line an extremely profitable one. The attitude of the promoters of the Marlborough light line is ilhat they are prepared lo bear their share of the cost of opening up t.heirback country and making communication by rail in one direction, but it is the Government's duty lo complete the main souiih line." '